I am a certified teacher and supervisor of courses based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and I have been engaged in personal mindfulness practice since 2002. My lifelong interest lies in the study of original Buddhist texts and Buddhist psychology, which, in secular programmes, intersects with Western psychology.
I completed training at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, graduating with Distinction from the master’s programme in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). I also graduated with Honours from the Psychological Therapies Practice (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Approaches) programme at the University of Exeter. I hold a Certificate of Competence in line with the internationally recognised MBI-TAC criteria.
I have taught on the MSt in MBCT programme at the University of Oxford and lead courses for students at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University. I am a member of the Mindfulness Research and Practice Network at Masaryk University, an academic centre at the forefront of mindfulness research, teaching, and application in the Czech Republic. I am also the co-author of MUNI Healthy Minds, an eHealth mindfulness programme supporting mental health and the cultivation of a fulfilling life.
I teach in both Czech and English, in academic settings as well as in the private sector. I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree (DPhil in Psychiatry) at the University of Oxford, under the supervision of Professor Willem Kuyken.
Ing. Alena Lašková MSt (Oxon) MSc
I endorse the Code of Conduct of British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches.
I also endorse it as a member of the Mindfulness Research and Practice Network of Masaryk University, that deems this document as a recommended standard for mindfulness teachers in the Czech Republic.
Mindfulness practice is underpinned by personal ethical standards. As mindfulness-based teachers we therefore seek to embody ethical integrity as well as mindfulness, seeing both as central to the practice. The following guidelines offer a framework and anaspiration for ethical practice. We would expect that mindfulness supervision would include some inquiry into these issues including any questions about their interpretation in specific situations. Mindfulness teachers who are already bound by professional codes of conduct should of course continue to adhere to these ones; the guidelines below aim to complement professional codes of conduct and not to supersede them.
I agree to adhere to British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches Good Practice Guidelines for teachers.
This includes:
I endorse the Good Practice Guidelines for Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses of the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches. I also endorse them as a member of the Mindfulness Research and Practice Network of Masaryk University, that deems this document as a recommended standard for mindfulness teachers in the Czech Republic.
These guiding principles have been developed to promote good practice in teaching mindfulness-based courses. Mindfulness courses are intended to teach people mindfulness in ways that can help with physical and psychological health problems and ongoing life challenges. These guidelines cover secular mindfulness-based programs taught in mainstream settings, normally over eight weeks.
These programmes are: Informed by a clear rationale; Teacher-led; Have been developed to be scaleable; Have a set curriculum, typically at least eight sessions with 30 – 45 mins daily home practice, incremental development and experiential learning; and have a clear commitment to be evidence-based.
Hence the courses covered by this Good Practice Guidance for teachers include but are not limited to those courses listed in Appendix 1 below.
A teacher of mindfulness-based approaches should have the following:
It is also hoped that teachers of lower intensity mindfulness-based courses such as the Finding Peace in a Frantic World course will work towards these guidelines.
